Mets put Parnell on DL, call up prospect Flores

Flushing, NY – The New York Mets opted to place closer Bobby Parnell on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday due to a herniated disc that has sidelined the right-hander for nearly a week.

Parnell has not pitched since July 30 because of the injury, which enables the Mets to backdate the move to Wednesday.

To fill the roster spot, the Mets recalled infielder Wilmer Flores from Triple-A Las Vegas, with the highly regarded prospect available to play when the Mets begin a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

Flores, who will be celebrating his 22nd birthday Tuesday, entered the season ranked as the Mets' No. 4 overall prospect by MLB.com and was having a strong year for Las Vegas. He currently leads the Pacific Coast League with 86 RBI while batting .321 with 15 home runs in 107 games with the 51s.

The native Venezuelan could be in line for an everyday role for the Mets with All-Star David Wright expected to miss approximately a month with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain he suffered on Friday.

Parnell was in the midst of the best season of his six-year major league career, having notched a personal-best 22 saves while posting a 2.16 earned run average over 49 games. The 28-year-old has allowed just one homer over a span of 50 innings.